jones



1,621 933 March 22, 1927. d F. J. s. JONES LIQUID FUEL SUPPLY ARRANGEMENT FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES Filed June 15, 1925 2 Sheets-$heet 1 March 22, 1927.

F. J. S. JONES LIQUID FUEL SUPPLY ARRANGEMENT FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES Filed June 15. 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 riff?! In I 1 If 2 \\\\\\\N\\\\\N\ \\\\N\\ \\\\\\h\ V /////A 2 Patented Mar. 22, 1927.

UNITED STATES FRANCIfi JOSEPH STAWLELL JONES, 0F IORTHCAVIL, SOUTH WALES.

LIQUIn-rUEL-sUrrLY ARRANGEMENT Application filed June 15, 1925, Serial No.

My invention relates to an improved means of raising liquid fuel from a low level tank to a higher level. so that it may be de livered into its correct channel on a plane above the said tank for combustion purposes, for instance delivery into the carburetor of an engine which may be employing a car buretor. Particularly but not necessarily is my invention intended for use on motor road vehicles in which the main petrol tank is in a plane below the level. of the carburetor of an engine. The devices heretofore proposed for this purpose are based on the well known vacuum pump principle, a float or other member adapted to be moved by the liquid controlling the suction and atmosphere inlet valves. The chief disadvantage of this type of device, especially on motor road vehicles, is that on modern eflicient high speed on gines the vacuum; created by the suction strokes of the engine at wide open throttle is often insufficient to raise the liquid sufficiently high to reach the auxiliary tank from which it drops by gravity into the carburetor. Now my invention has for its object to provide means which will enable liquid fuel to be lifted the required distance for a motor road vehicle or the normal height of a stationary internal combustion engine when the suction effort in the induction manifold or its equivalent is at the lowest degree.

In existing practice the requisite vacuum in the vessel within which the liquid fuel is initially raised is effected by tubing or other means connecting the induction manifold or its equivalent to the said vessel so that in effect the suction effort of the engine is coupled directly to the said vessel, the actual vacuum created by the engine is relied upon to raise the fluid whereas my invention is characterized in that power is obtained from the engine in such manner as to create in such vessel a vacuum which is under all normal working conditions of the engine sufficient to raise the liquid fuel the requisite distance, the degree of vacuum created in such vessel during the working of the device always being during the working of the engine substantially greater for a given volume of space than the lowest degree of vacuum created in a corresponding volume of space in the induction manifold, or its equivalent, of the engine.

In carrying my invention into practice FOR INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINES.

37,264, and in Great Britain July '7, 1924.

according to one embodiment the liquid fuel is actually sucked from the low level to the high level by the suction effort of a plunger moved within a compartment into which leads a tube from the low level tank, a nonreturn valve preventing the liquid from returning to the main tank. The liquid is subsequently forced out by the compression of the said plunger. so that there is an alternate suction and compression within the said compartment. The liquid may be forced out directly into the float chamber of a carburetor, or into an auxiliary vessel associated with it.

WVhen the suction of the engine is employed to operate the device a tubular passage connects the induction manifold with a shallow cylindrical chamber, which solely for the purpose of illustrating may be of say four inches in diameter. This cylindrical accommodates a piston which is rigidly connected to the said plunger so that they 'move in unison, said plunger and its compartment however being substantially smaller in diameter than the said piston, for instance one inch in diameter. After the suction stroke of the plunger which is effected by the suction of the engine on the said piston the suction is cut off by a valve operated by the piston at the end of the suction stroke of the plunger, an atmosphere inlet valve being opened simultaneously by the piston, the piston can now be returned either by a spring orby creating a suction on the other side of the piston which can be effected quite simply by simultaneously opening a valve which moves in unison with the suction closure valve already referred to, these two valves if desired moving together so that when one is open the other is closed, both of them seating on a passage leading to the induction pipe of the engines.

When this device is intended for raising and transferring liquid directly to the carburetor float chamber, the said atmosphere inlet valve can be coupled by a pipe leading into the float chamber or its equivalent and having a valve adapted to be closed by the action of the float in the float chamber or its equivalent when it reaches a predetermined height so that until the liquid has fallen below this height the piston will not operate owing to the constant suction on one side.

In order that my invention may be clearly understood and readily carried into effect,

I have appended hereto two sheets of drawings illustrating three embodiments of same wherein z' r Figs. 1 and 2 are sectional elevation views of two embodiments.

Fig. 3 being a broken section plan of the valve for controlling the suction and air inlet ports, and

Fig. 4 is a vertical section of another embodiment of my invention.

Referring to Fig. 1 of the drawings the device comprises a cylindrical vessel or tank 1 having an inlet port 2 adapted tohave connected to it a tube leading to the low level tank. The, liquid fuel is adapted to be sucked from the low level tank into the tank 1, and is delivered into the carburettor by means of an outlet 3 which is preferably fitted with a cock or valve to enable the supply to the carburettor, to be regulated.

The liquid fuel is sucked into the tankv 1 by means of a plunger 4 which fits nicely in a cylinder 5 secured to the base of the tank 1 so as to surround the inlet 2. The plunger 4 is adapted to be reciprocated inside the cylinder 5 so that on the up stroke it sucks a small quantity of liquid fuel into the cylinder 5 and on the down stroke it delivers this quantity of liquid fuel into the tank 1, this being possible by means of a non-return ball valve 6, or .a clack or other suitable form of valve, in the plunger 4c, in the embodiment shown the valve 6 working freely in a central aperture 7 which is sufficiently large above the seating of the ball 6 to allow the liquid fuel to pass the ball and flow into the tank 1; Another non-return ball or equally suitable valve 8 prevents the liquid fuel from flowing back into the tube up which it is sucked from the low level tank.

The plunger 4 is connected in a somewhatflexible or universal manner by a link 9 to a rod 10 which slides through a guide 11 and is connected to a piston 12 which has .a nice fit inside a cylinder 13, consequently the plunger 4: and the piston 12 move in unison.

The piston 12 is raised against the influence of a spring 14 by the suction in the inlet maui fold of the engine, the inlet mani fold being connected by a suitable tube, if desired in the same manner as the existing vacuum pump, to a suction passage 15 leading into the closed space or valve chamber 16 above the piston 12. When the piston is raised to its top position the suction passage is closed and an air inlet 1.8 opened therebyallowing the coiled spring 14 to pull the piston down again, and so the apparatus continues working flooding of the chamber 1 being obviated by a float controlled valve 17 adapted to close the air inlet port 18 until the level of petrol in the auxiliary chamber begins to drop.

A suitable form of device for closing the air inlet and suction ports comprises a ball has a restricted movement over the seatin and is moved by a roller 22 carried by the bifurcated end of a spring pressed arm 23 and pressing against the ball. The spring arm is pivoted at its end furthest from the bifurcated end to a depending link 2 1 fixedly carried by an axially rotatable spindle 25 around which a torsional spring 26 is disposed to obtain the desired resiliency or, spring action. The rod carrying the roller is moved up and down by the movement of the piston 12 the rod of which extending through the piston carries a stirrup 27, disposed about the said arm so that there is a certain amount of'lost motion, the arm 23 only being moved as the piston approaches the top or bottom stroke. It will be apparent that as the roller moves resiliently over the ball, the latter will be forced from one side of its seating to the other thereby opening one port and closing the other the action being instantaneous, with negligible amount of friction. j

The air port communication by means of a depending pipe 28' within the interior or the auxiliary chamber which is under atmospheric pressure such pipe having a valve seating 29 in it adapted to be closed by the valve 17 connected to a small float or cork 31 inside the chamber when the latter receives the maximum allowance of petrol. Owing to the difference in diameters of the cylinders 5 and 12, the suction effort for a given volume of space inside the cylinder 5 is greater than that obtained for the same volume of space inside the cylinder 12, and even with an average engine approaching its lowest R. P. M. the periodicity of suction of the plunger 1 will ensure a supply of liquid fuel to easily cope with the demands of the engine, As the suction effort of the plunger 4iis sutiicient to raise liquid the requisite distance, it is apparent that a substantially corresponding degree of compression etfort will be capable of the same effect, accord ngly I find that with slight lllOtllllCttt'lOl'lS the apparatus can, he placed in or close to the main petrol tank in rear of the vehicle for forcing the petrol through piping to the carlmrettoiz, In this latter modificatimi which is shown in Fig. 2, I do not provide a valve in the plunger 4t but in a chamber 33 below the plunger cylinder, the intake non-return va1ve34 being retained and immersed in the petrol in the tank or having a pipe connecting it to the interior of the tank. Further the plunger cylinder 5" has its interior isolated from the interior of the tank 1. g

It will be apparent in this latter modification that when the plunger is moved down it will force the petrol lifted during the suc tion stroke into the tank through a non-return valve 36 and consequently gradually compress the air inside the said chamber which in this case is air tight. Ultimately the cushion of air thus set up will more than counteract the eltort oi the spring acting on the plunger and so arrest the operation of the apparatus until suflicient petrol has been forced through the supply pipe 1 to the carburettor or another auxiliary vessel close to the carbin'ettor.

To prevent the cushion of air becoming reduced or entirely removed by the liquid fuel absorbing the air, the tank 1 accommodates a cylindrical air tight chamber 37 within which closely fits a plunger 38 having a large surface area of wall to fit inside the chamber 37. This plunger 38 is supported. by a coiled spring 39 interposed between it and the top of the chamber 37, so that in addition to the air cushion a mechanical cushion is provided. If desired the chamber 37 may communicate at its upper end with the tank 1, and the latter may have in its wall adjacent its top a hair spring loaded small light clack valve which will be closed by any pressure above atmosphere inside the tank 1, but will open to admit air should the pressure inside the tank 1 fall below atmospheric.

If desired the chamber 37 and its plunger 38 may constitute a separate device in series with the valve 36 and the carburettor or cushioning tank to be supplied with liquid fuel, the chamber 37 being interposed between the pump and the carburettor or auxiliary chamher.

The float controlled air release valve will not be necessary in the modification described with reference to Fig. 2. The same method of controlling the ball valve 19 and piston 12 is employed.

The cylinder within which the plunger moves has a back pressure passage 54 to release any petrol which may accumulate above the plunger, also a back pressure air port 55 to allow the plunger to move such air port extending outs de the apparatus so as not to influence the pressure of air inside the auxiliary chamber.

A gauze filter 56 is preferably fitted over the chamber 33.

In Fig. 4 is shown the preferred embodiment of my invention and it'has many fea tures in common with the device shown in Fig. 1, the piston 12 and plunger 4 being retained, the piston 12 however being loaded with lead or other suitable material 40 instead of the spring 14 being employed.

Vith the exception of substituting the spring 14 with a weight, the piston 12 is operated in the same manner as that shown in Fig. 1, however instead of the valve 19, a roller 19 is provided seating on a substantial semi-cylindrical seating 41. In Figs. 1 and 2, stops 42 are provided to restrict the moven'ient of the arm 23, whereas in the present device (Fig. 4) a pin 43 is provided having cranked portions 43" to restrict the movement of the arm 23. This pin 43 is threaded into the top of the valve chamber as at 44" so that by merely unscrewing the pin the rollers 19 and arm 23 can be removed. The arm 23 in this instance does not *arry a roller to engage the roller 19 but has a tapered extremity 23 for engaging the roller 19, the other end of the arm being curved to seat in the send-circular lower end 44 of a leaf spring 44 secured to the top of the valve chamber.

The plunger 4 has loosely fitted into it the lower end 075' a rod 45 secured to the piston 12 so that an annular clearance for the passage of liquid fuel is provided between the cen tral aperture of the plunger and the lower end of the rod 45. The lower extremity of the rod 45 is formed with a conical valve 46 adapted to engage during the suction or up stroke of the plunger 4 against an annular ring 47 loosely disposed inside a recessed portion 48 in the base of the plunger, such ring 47 having a recessed upper face 47: The rod 45 has a small amount of relative linear movement inside the plunger 4 so that on the down stroke the conical valve 46 will be slightly in advance of the plunger thereby leaving a clearance to allow the liquid fuel to pass up the annular clearance inside the plunger into the tank 1, the abutment 49 having radial slots 50 to allow the passage of liquid fuel into the tank 1.

The suction passage 15 is connected to the intake manifold of the engine, but the air inlet 18 heads straight out into the atmosphere and is not adapted to be closed by a float as shown in Fig. 1. In Fig. 4 instead of using a float to out off the air inlet, a float51 is employed to positvely hold the piston 12 against descending when the liquid fuel inside the tank 1 reaches a predetermined level. The float 51 is disposed about the rod 45 and is suspended by two pairs of hingedly supported and connected links 52, consequently when the float is raised so as to bring the centre connections 52 of the links against the rod 45, the rod will be able to move up, but will not be allowed to descend owing to an abutment 53 on the said rod engaging the connection 52 When the float drops consequent upon the level of the liquid inside the tank 1 falling, the connections 52 will clear the abutment 53 and the device will recommence pumping.

It will be apparent that the modification inthe piston, plunger and valves shown in Fig. 4 can be incorporated in Figs. 1 and 2.

I find in practice that suitable diameters for the piston 12 and the plunger l which give satisfactory results on most motor road vehicles are 2%}; inch and 1 inch respective ly, but these dimensions can be varied so long as the diameter of the piston 12 is greater than the plunger 4.

In order to prevent the arm 23 from becoming jammed or to meet the extra effort required when the end of such arm is at dead centre or in a diametrical line With respect to the roller 19", during the up stroke ofthe piston 12, a leaf spring 23* is secured to the arm 23 so as to bend downwards as shown in the drawings and is adapted to be engaged by the lower of a pair of abutments I find in practice that as the rod 45 rises, the lower abutment 45 raises, before it raise the arm 23, compresses the spring 23 and consequently extra energy is stored up to meet the extra effort required When the arm 23 reaches the said dead centre point.

WVhat I claim is 2- 1. In a pump device for elevating liquids,

'a tank, a large cylinder and a small cylinder carried by said tank, a large piston and a small piston connected together and operating in said cylindes, respectively, the larger cylinder having a pair of ports opening thereto, one for atmosphere inlet and the other for suction connection, valve means operated by piston movement to alternate the dominance of the suction and atmospheric pressure through said ports, respectively, whereby the pistons are caused to reciprocate, valve means .in conjunction with said smaller cylinder andpiston constituting a pump, said pump being in dis charging relation to the interior of said tank, and means contained in the device separate from and independent of said pistons operable by a predetermined rise inthe level of liquid in said tank to prevent operation of said pump.

2. In a pump device for elevating liquids, a tank, a large cylinder and a small cylinder carried by said tank, a large piston and a small piston connected together and operating in said cylinders, respectively, the larger cylinder having a pair of ports opening thereto, one for atmosphere inlet and the other for suction connection, valve means operated by piston movement to alternate the dominance of the suction and, atmos pheric pressure through said ports, respectively, whereby the pistons are caused to ro ciprocate, valve means in conjunction with said 'smallercylinder and piston constituting a pump, said pump being in discharging relation to the interior of said tank, and means contained in'the device separate from and independent of said pistons operable by a predetermined rise in the level of liquid in said tank to; prevent operation of said pump, said tank being subject constantly to atmospheric pressure and the larger cylinder being separated from the liquid receiving chamber in said tank.

3. In a pump device for elevating liquids, a tank, a large cylinder and a small cylinder carried by said tank, a large piston and a small piston connected together and operating in said cylinders, respectively, the larger cylinder having a pair of ports opening thereto, one for atmosphere inlet and the other for suction connection, valve means operated by piston movement to alternate the dominance of the suction and atmospheric pressure through said ports, respectively, whereby the pistons are caused to reciprocate, valve means in conjunction with said smaller cylinder and piston constituting a pump, said pump being in discharging relation to the interior of said tank, an abutment connected with said pump piston, and a float operable by a predetermined rise'in the level of liquid in said tank to engage said abutment and thereby'hold saidpump against operation.

4:. In a pump device for elevating 1i uids, a tank, a large cylinder and a small cylinder carried by said tank, a large piston and a small piston connected together and operating in said cylinders, respectively, the larger cylinder having a pair of, ports opening thereto, one for atmosphere inlet and the other for suction connection, rolling valve means operated by piston movement to alternate the dominance of the suction and atmospheric pressure through said ports, respectively, whereby the pistons are caused to reciprocate, valve means in conjunction with said smaller cylinder and piston constituting a pump. said pump being in discharging relation to the interior of said tank, and means contained in the device separate from and independent of said pistons operable by a predetermined rise in the level of liquid in said tank to prevent operation of said pump. V

5. In a pump device for elevating liquids, a large cylinder, and a small cylinder, a large piston and a small piston connected together and operating in said cylinders, the larger cylinder having a pair of ports opening thereto into a common curved valve seat, one for atmosphere inlet and the other for suction connection, a valve rolling on said curved seat operated by piston movement to alternately open and close said ports thereby to alternate the dominance of the suction and atmospl'ieric pressure through said ports, respectively, whereby the pistons are caused to reciprocate, and valve means in conjunction with said smaller cylinder and piston constituting a pump.

6. In a pump device for elevatin liquids, a large cylinder, and a smell cylinder, at

lllly large piston and a small piston connected together and operating in said cylinders, the

larger cylinder having a pair of ports opening thereto into a common curved valve seat, one for atmosphere inlet and the other for suction connection, a resiliently supported arm for moving said valve, an operative connection between said arm and said pistons whereby movement of the latter causes said arm to move said valve alternately into and out of closing relation to said ports to alternate the dominance of the suction and atmospheric pressure through said ports, respectively, whereby the pistons are caused to reciprocate, and valve means in conjunction with said smaller cylinder and piston constituting a pump.

7. In a pump device for elevating liquids, a tank, a large cylinder at the upper end of said tank, said cylinder being closed at its lower end, a small cylinder at the lower end of said tank, a large piston and a small piston operating within said cylinders, respectively, a rod connecting said pistons, an abutment on said rod, the larger cylinder having a pair of ports opening thereto, one for atmosphere inlet and the other for suction connection, valve means operated by piston movement to alternate the dominance of the suction and atmospheric pressure through said ports, respectively, whereby the pistons are caused to reciprocate, valve means in conjunction with said smaller cylinder and piston constituting a pump, said pump being in discharging relation to the interior of said tank, a float within said tank, and links connecting said float with the closed lower end of the larger cylinder movable into engagement with said abutment to hold said rod and pistons against movement when the level of liquid in said tank reaches a predetermined height.

In witness whereof I have signed this specification.

FRANCES JOSEPH STAWELL JONES. 

